Armed Derbyshire man gets a community order after chasing a neighbour with a hockey stick

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Jon Cooper

Published:11:42Thursday 27 June 2019

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An armed man who chased a neighbour through a Derbyshire town centre while wielding a hockey stick after a dispute over potted plants has been given a community order.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on June 25 how Abdel-aal Ali Mohammed-Ali, 54, of Market Place, Buxton, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour after he pursued the neighbour across Market Place while waving a hockey stick.

Buxton Market Place

Prosecuting solicitor Mark Fielding told a previous hearing there was background of ill feeling between the two men and there had been a confrontation between them over a potted plant.

Mr Fielding added that the complainant went shopping and was returning home across Buxton Market Place in the middle of the day when the defendant ran towards him with a hockey stick shouting and making threats.

The court heard that the incident which was captured on CCTV.

The complainant stated he suffers with anxiety after he had once been stabbed in the face by someone else in a separate incident and he stated he has post-traumatic stress disorder and the latest incident had heightened his anxiety.

Chesterfield magistrates' court.

He also claimed that all he had done was ask the defendant to stay away from his stairwell and plants because they live in the block of flats.

Former University security officer Mohammed-Ali pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour after the incident on September 21, 2018.

Defence solicitor James Riley also told the previous hearing Mohammed-Ali has mental health issues and he had felt threatened and had claimed that he had been assaulted by the complainant and had acted in self defence but went too far.

Mr Riley added that the complainant had referred to his neighbour as “Ali Bongo” in a police statement because he thought he was “crackers”.

But Mohammed-Ali claims he has suffered abuse from his neighbour, according to Mr Riley, with sexual comments and cultural and racist references and a witness said they had heard the complainant making provocative, howling noises.

The court heard that the complainant is a keen horticulturist and according to Mr Riley he grows a lot of things which allegedly obscure views at the flats.